The new cultivar is the product of chance discovery. The new variety originated as a naturally occurring mutation of the unpatented ‘Gayles Lilac’ variety of Agapanthus. 
The new variety was discovered by the inventor, Ian Duncalf, a citizen of New Zealand, during 1997 in an outdoor planting of nursery pots, in a commercial nursery in Tauranga, New Zealand. After identifying the new variety as a potentially interesting selection, the inventor continued confidential testing and observation of ‘DUNAGA02’ until around 2002, finally selecting the variety for further propagation during 2004.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar ‘DUNAGA02’ was first performed by division in Tauranga, New Zealand, during 2002, on a very limited basis. Access to all plants was restricted, as plants were kept in a location not open to the public. Through subsequent propagation, multiple generations have been reproduced, which have shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type.